The Venderia is an art gallery, convenience store, thrift shop and oracle inside vending machines inside cool places in Portland, Oregon. I don’t remember how I found the account, but I’ve been following The Venderia on Instagram since 2017. I loved the concept of creative vending, the tag line “vending should not be boring”, and the energy of the owner, Taylor Valdes. When I saw a post about Venderia T-shirts I contacted Taylor right away to get mine. Four years later, that shirt is still one of my favourite and most worn tees.
Last year I applied for a microgrant to start a creative vending business and Taylor was so helpful throughout the application process, chatting with me on the phone and reviewing the application before I submitted it. Competition for the grant was stiff and I didn’t end up getting it, but her insight was invaluable. If your interest is piqued, you’re in luck. On May 1st, The Venderia is launching Creative Vending Revolution, a six-part online course covering all the ins and outs of starting a successful, non-traditional vending machine business. And just like her vending machines, there is nothing boring about the course. I chatted with Taylor ahead of the course launch.
Behind the scenes.
“ I have always wanted to help people do what I do.”
What is “creative vending” and how did you get involved in it?
Creative vending, as I define it, is using ordinary vending machines to sell extraordinary products. I fell into creative vending by accident. One of my first jobs out of college was working the front desk at a bowling alley. At the time I was also running a small upcycled clothing line. I spent a lot of time embroidering. I loved that bowling alley job! I could play my own music and embroider during my shift. The big bowling machines did all the work, and I got paid to make my art! And so, began my love of semi-passive businesses. For many years I dreamed of owning a hip laundromat. Instead, I bought a $150 vending machine from a laundromat going out of business.
Is creative vending your full-time job?
Yes. It took me seven years to make vending my full-time job. But then I almost immediately took a very part-time job at my daughter's elementary school because I like being around people.
How many machines do you have?
20. 19 full-size machine and one coin-operated capsule machine.
How many machines would you like to have?
I don't know. Being a full-time vending machine artist was my long-time dream, especially during the years that I worked 9-5 in an accounting firm and did vending on the side. The office life was such a drag and I really JUST wanted to make my art and run my own business. But, then once vending became my full-time job, I realized I missed having actual coworkers. I also enjoy the ease of being an employee sometimes. I was really happy with 12 machines plus a part-time bar gig. And I am happy now with 20 machines and working part-time for Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization. One of the things I love most about vending is how flexible it is. I appreciate that I have been able to grow my business slowly over the years while dabbling in other fields.
How do you source products for your machines?
As I discuss in my course, I have a Magic Ratio. About 1/3 of the products in my machine are "easy resale". This is stuff I get at the dollar store or yard sales or thrift shops or online anywhere but Amazon. It's just fun, cheap stuff that requires minimal packaging and can be marked up and sold. This easy resale stuff helps subsidize the cost of other products, like work I buy from local artists. Over 100 Portland artists have sold their works in The Venderia over the years, and I am always bringing new makers into the fold and trying out new products. At any time, a single machine contains the works of at least seven different people. Last, I make about 1/3 of my products myself. Making playthings for my machines is my greatest joy. I love writing fortunes and devising games that make people blush, check their privilege, or feel seen. I find the anonymity, immediacy, and low-price point of vending extremely inspiring.
What is the wildest thing you’ve ever sold out of one of your machines?
The stained but clean underwear of my deceased great uncle in a mystery bag is probably the wildest. Similarly, I now sell facemasks made out of 100% cotton men's underwear. The little penis pocket provides a spot where the wearer can add filters to the mask. It's pretty amazing and locally made by Tempest Trading.
Another wild thing I've sold is a real diamond ring! A man reached out to me about using The Venderia to propose to his girlfriend. He & his girlfriend had spent their first date playing with the Venderia and the machine was special to them. We stuck the ring in a mystery bag. He invited her and her family to brunch at the bar. I was sitting at the bar with my photographer friend. Towards the end of their meal, he encouraged his girlfriend to buy a mystery bag... and lo and behold she opened the bag to find an engagement ring! When she turned around to show him what was in the bag, he was down on one knee. My photographer friend sneakily captured it all on film. It was amazing!
What is the wildest thing you’ve ever bought out of a vending machine?
I lived in South Korea for three years and in that time I purchased a lot of beverages that to the American palate would seem pretty wild. My favorite was barely tea, but the weirdest was probably fizzy milk soda.
Your Creative Vending Revolution course launches on May 1st. What inspired you to create this course and can you give a sneak peek of some of the content?
Over the years many people have reached out to me for guidance in starting their own creative vending businesses. That interest increased exponentially when The Venderia was featured by Business Insider in 2019. I have always wanted to help people do what I do. I love vending. I love the vending machine lifestyle and flexible work schedule. I know there is space for more people to succeed in this field. I WANT more exciting, artistic, inspiring, revolutionary vending machines in the world.
But until the pandemic hit, I had a really hard time keeping track of the people contacting me. I had no system in place and not enough time to dedicate to mentorship. Then when COVID-19 hit, all my locations closed. My work totally stopped. I had nothing BUT time. So, using the inquiries I'd been receiving for years as a guide to what people wanted to know and where they needed help getting started, I decided to make an online course. It helped a lot that my good friend, Anne Parmeter, is an instructional designer. She and I had long talked about creating some how-to videos, but never made the time for it. She was very familiar with my business as a customer, as my friend, and as a fellow solopreneur. I also reached out to Candra Livsey, an experienced vending business coach for guidance and advice.
See a few clips from the course on The Venderia’s YouTube channel .
Follow The Venderia on Instagram.
Story by Glodeane Brown
Photos provided by Taylor Valdes
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